hucks216

The RKT facing the camera is Leopold Hackl with Bellof wearing the cap. The additional photo shows Ludwig Bellof again (from my own collection.) http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-5995-0-62417000-1421674626.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-5995-0-10773100-1421674631.jpg

I found Volume 1 to be quite handy really in the same way the Charles Hamilton books are. Most entries only have one signature example with the exception of Hitler, Goering, Goebbels etc. There are some NS related examples such as Hitler's secretaries, Ulrich Graf, Emil Maurice, Dr Theo Morell, Wilhelm Kube and Philipp Bouhler to name just a few. Where this book is better than the Hamilton books is that it also contains signatures from General rank officers (Generaloberst, General der XXXX, Generalleutnant etc) from all the services rather than just those holding the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. When it comes to the biographies of each entry there isn't much beyond a few lines to give some basic information such as date of birth & death, promotion and assignment dates. Volume 2 is due out this year which looks to be concentrating more on the Luftwaffe Flak & Fallschirmjaeger personalities.

Another interesting item and not something I have seen before. Here is a completed DRK Ausweis as seen on page 11 of the booklet.

Interesting little item and a definite collectible in it's own right.

Kurt von Schleicher Born: 07 April 1882 Died: 30 June 1934 - murdered during The Night Of The Long Knives. His wife Elisabeth was one of only three females murdered during the purge. WW-1 General Staff Supreme Army Command Sondergruppe R Defence Minister Chancellor December 1932 to January 1933 (23rd Chancellor of Germany) Image: Promotion citation

That is great, thanks for the information.

Can anyone identify this signature of a Generalmajor from 1936 from Waldenburg please? I thought that it might be Georg Kühn but he was in command of 3.Pz.Brigade during 1936.

Hello all, I have recently acquired a Wehrpass to eventual WW-2 era Oberstleutnant Alexander von Webern who was born 19th December 1889 in Breslau and I was wondering if anyone could shed any light on his WW-1 service, presuming he served as an officer during that conflict? In 1935 he served as a Btl-Führer in IR-Glogau and was a Major d.Reserve in 1939 when he served as Btl-Kdr of Inf.Feld.Ers.Btl 18. In 1940 he served as Btl-Kdr of III/IR 417 before going on to serve in Stab 708 Inf.Division and eventually with Landesschützen Btl 559 in Stalag VIIIB. Unfortunately it does not list any of his WW-1 units or campaigns. He was promoted to Major d.Reserve on 1st July 1936 and to Oberstleutnant d.Reserve on 1st January 1944. Awards wise it appears that he won both the EK II & I on 17th September 1914 unless that is a piece of lazy admin work where the admin clerk just used the date of one for both. Any light that can be shed on his WW-1 record would be much appreciated.

Nice image, and he looks to be wearing the EK II ribbon as well.

It is very difficult to be 100% sure either way. At first I had my doubts because I can not find a reference to Volks-Grenadier-Regiment 1148. There was a 563 Volks-Grenadier-Division but from what I can find out the three infantry regiments (1147, 1148 & 1149) were all titled Grenadier Regiment 1147 etc etc, i.e. not Volks-Grenadier-Regiment. The stamps do cast doubts but I have seen worse examples on genuine items (although it is hard to make out any details due to the watermarking/quality of image). Unfortunately I have no examples of the two signatures in my files to compare against and as of yet I still can't figure out why they all have (VD) on the citations especially as the last one comes from the San-Kompanie whereas the others from the Divisional HQ so was it a case of the Wound Badge being the original example and the other two have been added to beef up the group and so someone has copied the (VD) or is it just something 563 VGD did?

At the time of the awards 563 VGD were situated in the Kurland Pocket. The KvK is signed by Ferdinand Brühl while the EK looks to be signed by Werner Neumann. I don't know why there is a '(VD)' near every signature though. It isn't something I have seen before.

Thanks - that is a nice addition for his entry.

General der Panzertruppe Leo Reichsfreiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg Born: 02 Mar 1886 Died: 27 Jan 1974 Kdr 3 Panzerdivision Kdr XXIV Armeekorps (mot.) Kdr XXXX Panzerkorps Stellv. Kdr LXXXVI Armeekorps General der Panzertruppen West Kdr LVIII. Reserve-Panzerkorps General der Panzertruppen West Inspekteur der Panzertruppen des Ersatzheeres RK - 09 Jul 1941

Certainly looks like his signature and on such an early piece of paperwork makes it a very nice item. It looks like he signed it just before leaving that unit on the 23rd October 1916. Feel free to add it to his entry in the Signature Database... Sperrle, Hugo

Here is the soldier's entry in the Volksbund Database. His body has never been recovered.

Nice clear images. The GD soldier has the look of a young Matt Damon about him!

Hard to say but I would say it is a facsimile. There seems to be a lack of cross over strokes.

I'm afraid that the signature is a faked attempt. The Feldpost Number in the stamp is that for Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 331 and so doesn't match the unit either.

While I can't say I am happy with the Marienburg related citation I would need to see more of the grouping to rule it completely out. The thing is I also have problems with the other Sturmabzeichen citation from 81 ID, or rather nagging doubts. The ink and style used for the signature on the 81 ID strikes me as being very similar to a lot of very good faked citations coming out of Eastern Europe and what are the chances that one seller just happens to have two citations with a 'Stempel' misspelling even though the units didn't fight in the same area, one in East Prussia and one in Courland but without seeing the other examples from the group it is impossible to be certain. And Weitze isn't above selling faked or embellished items. Just look at the Heer DKiG/TDB soldbuch he currently has listed.

Nice example. Here is another taken from a Wehrpass for someone killed in Poland on the 8th September 1939...

GD example dated from 1940 and signed by Knights Cross winner Eugen Garski.

Luftwaffe promotion citation to a DKiG winner and hand signed by Hermann Göring.

I do like these citation types - both these and the more 'fancy' variants. Sometimes they can be signed by one of the leading personalities of the Third Reich.

Thanks for the comments guys. Good luck with the missing docs. Hopefully you will show the set here this section if you decide to take it. Glad that you have been able to find out a little about what the Störkampfgruppen were. There were, I believe, 6 such units in total although some were just a Staffel rather than a Gruppe. Here is another photo from the group showing one of the aircraft types they used...

Born: 02 Jun 1883 Died: 13 Nov 1970 Highest rank reached: Generalleutnant Kmdt Tr.Üb.Pl. Bergen Kdr von Oslo Kdr 199 Infanterie-Division Retired 1942